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Santa Handprint
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5 from 1 vote

Santa Handprint Ornament

Make this easy salt dough recipe and turn them into a Santa, elf or reindeer handprint ornament
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1.5 cups warm water

Instructions

  • Begin by mixing 4 cups all purpose flour with 1 cup of salt.
    Salt and Flour Handprint Ornaments
  • Add 1.5 cups warm water until it starts to form a dough.
    Add Water Santa Ornament
  • If it feels a little dry, you can add more water. Add one tablespoon at a time. If it is too sticky, then add a little more flour in.
  • Knead the dough until it forms a soft ball. You will need to knead for at least 5-10 minutes to get it to a good consistency. Roll it out to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
    Roll out Santa Salt Dough
  • Press a hand into the dough to make a handprint. Carefully cut out handprints with a knife (adults only). Leave a little bit of space around each finger so that the fingers don't turn out too skinny once they are baked. Repeat this step 2 more times if making all of the ornaments.
  • Cut out 4 small shapes for the light bulbs. You can free-hand draw and cut these out with a knife (adults only).
    Cut out Christmas Lights from Salt Dough
  • Make a hole with a straw on the top of the middle finger for the elf and reindeer and a hole on the opposite side (fingers hanging down) for the Santa.
  • Bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit then let the bottoms of the ornaments air dry on a cookie drying rack for one day before painting.

Notes

If you find that the ornaments are still a bit doughy, put them back in for another hour or so.
The thickness of the dough will determine how long you have to bake them for. You can also raise the temperature up to 325 degrees F but do this gradually as they may start to puff up. We prefer to bake them at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for longer and let them air dry for a few days.